Unexpected Allies
by merhotepbecca
Summary: Voldemort's planning to attack Hogwarts, so Harry calls upon the people who can help them most...they turn out to be the Fellowship!! my first fic, plean r&r **complete** SEQUEL NOW POSTED!
1. Bad Tidings

A/N: This is my first fic, and it's going to be slow-moving. Not that I'll have problems updating, but the story itself will not move along that fast. Be sure to review, I want to know if you people want more! Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, they are masterpieces by geniuses that I could never pretend to be. But I can dream…

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Chapter 1: Bad Tidings

Voldemort gazed at the circle of Death Eaters surrounding him. He grinned maliciously and spoke, with his cold, foreboding voice, "My loyal servants, I have called you to me to announce what you have been expecting for years. In one week, we shall take what is ours. In a mere seven days, we will attack and defeat our foes.

"First, we shall take Hogwarts, to make the only two people who pose a threat to me powerless, or even better, dead. Then we take the rest of the world! With Dumbledore and Harry Potter out of our way, nothing can stop us!

"Severus, my spy, tell me, do they suspect anything?"

Severus Snape answered solemnly, "No, my Lord, they have no reason to expect anything of the sort."

Voldemort's snake-like eyes narrowed. "And will they find out, Severus?"

Severus's face showed non of his inner worries. "Not if I can help it, my Lord." 

__

Oh no, Severus thought, _is he on to me? Has he figured out that I'm not loyal to him anymore?_

The Dark Lord's eyes regained their normal appearance. "Good. Report to me immediately if, by some fantastic chance, they do find out."

Severus bowed low and retreated to his spot in the circle.

"Now go!" shouted Voldemort, "Wait for my summons and prepare to fight!"

A swirl of cloaks, and the dreary field that had been occupied just seconds ago was empty.

***

Professor Severus Snape appearated to just beyond the protective boundaries of the Hogwarts grounds, grabbed his broom that he had stashed there when leaving for the meeting, and flew up to the castle. He got off the broom at one of the castle's small side doors, went in and stashed the broom in a nearby closet. Then he ran through the halls to the statue outside the Headmaster's office. 

"Milky Way," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. The gargoyle moved to reveal the staircase that led up to Albus Dumbledore's office. He took the stairs three at a time and knocked hastily on the door before entering.

Albus rose to greet him, but Professor Snape wasted no time on pleasantries. "Headmaster, we must prepare! Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts in exactly a week!"

Dumbledore's face fell, his usually bright and twinkling eyes gone dim. "Very well, go tell the other Heads of the houses. We must send all of the students in fifth year or below home, and give the remaining students the option of staying and fighting. I'll send a letter to the Ministry asking them to send Aurors for support."

"Headmaster…," Severus hesitated, "…Will they believe you?"

The grim look on the ancient wizard's face did nothing to reassure the Potions Master. "Let us hope so, or we are all surely doomed."

***

Harry Potter was taking a walk, as he often did at night. Of course, he always wore his invisibility cloak. The sixth-year student didn't want a detention just for walking, which is what he'd get if he were seen by a teacher out of his dormitory past curfew.

Hearing rapid footsteps, Harry crushed himself against the wall, just to make sure whoever it was wouldn't run into him. He saw that it was Snape, and that his potions professor was muttering to himself

"One week…attack in one we, what are we going to do…must send students home…no hope…no hope…"

As Snape breezed past, still muttering, Harry pondered the possible meaning of his words.

_No hope, _Harry thought, _no hope for what? Why do they have to send students home? One week?…_Suddenly, it all came together. _Voldemort!! Snape was talking about an attack by Voldemort! And since they were sending the students home, it'll happen here! And in just a week._

After discerning this, Harry didn't feel much like walking anymore. His conscience just wouldn't allow him to let the teachers handle it. _I have to do something!_ He made his way to the library.


	2. Meeting the Allies

A/N: I thought two chapters would me more explanatory than just one, so here's number 2! Please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah blah blah….

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Chapter 2: Meeting the Allies

After several hours of searching, Harry's eyes felt as if they'd fall out of his head. In the hundred or so tomes he'd searched, he had found nothing to help him. The exhausted young wizard was about to give up when a particularly dusty volume caught his eye. It's title was, "Spells for War-Weary Wizards" He figured, "Hell, I'll give it a try." He pulled it off of the shelf and lugged it over to the table. Dust billowed off of the pages of the old book. Flipping through several pages revealed nothing to be of interest. 

Then, he saw one, a spell that might help their cause. It was supposed to bring the people who could help solve your problem to your aid. Harry had no idea who they'd be, but as of now, that didn't matter. They needed help. So he drew his wand and read the words, "_Summos Aidia!" _As soon as he'd cast the spell there was a band and a bright light and suddenly he was surrounded by people, or at least they looked like people, but he wasn't sure if they were all human. Three of them looked human enough, although one of them had an amazingly long bushy beard, a fascinatingly odd pointy hat, and carried a gnarled staff. There were four creatures who looked like short people, but their odd ears and big bare hairy feet gave them away as being something else entirely. Another of the group looked like a very tall man, but his pointy ears gave Harry the feeling he was some form of elf. The last was very stout and could be called a man, but he was so unnaturally short, and the fact that he had a beard to rival the old man with the hat, told Harry that he was more likely a dwarf.

The man with the pointy hat and staff stepped forward and asked, "Could you tell us who you are and why we are here? Where is 'here', anyway?"

Harry, a bit intimidated by that hat, answered in as unwavering voice as he could muster, "I'm Harry Potter, a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in England. That's where you are right now."

The group of strangers exchanged weird looks. One of the short people with hairy feet asked, "Where is this in Middle Earth? Are we near Rohan?"

Harry was confused. _Middle Earth? Is this short fellow out of his bloody mind? "_We're not in Middle Earth. We're on just plain Earth, a planet. Obviously, we're talking about completely different realms."

The dwarf-looking man came forward and said, "Well, forget about that for now. _Why _are we here?"

Harry wondered if they'd understand this at all; "You're here because I cast a spell that would bring the people that could most help us defeat our enemy to my presence, and it brought you."

One of the other humans, who looked like he hadn't showered in ages, gave him a look of apprehension. "Who is your enemy?"

The young wizard wondered why the stranger could want to know who it was, but he answered, "Most people here call him You-Know-Who, or the Dark Lord…"

Pointy-hat-man's eyes grew wide and said, "Sauron?"

Harry shook his head 'no' and replied, "Voldemort. I can see you have a tale to tell. Let's go up to the common room, we can talk more there. Oh, before we go, would you mind introducing yourselves, so I can address you properly??"

So, Pointy-Hat-Man stepped forward and said, "I am Gandalf, the wizard. The two other men are Aragorn and Boromir. The elf is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. That stout little man is Gimli, the dwarf. The other short ones are Hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin." As their names were called, the respective person raised his hand.

Harry smiled and said, "It's wonderful to meet you all. Now, off we go." 

With those words, Harry scrunched the four short men and the dwarf-man and himself under the invisibility cloak (it was a rather tight fit) and gave Gandalf directions from behind. And off they went.


	3. Dumbledore

A/N: Ok, I'm just going to keep loading these as I come up with them. I want to offer you guys a chance to get into the story. Review if you want

Disclaimer: see previous 2 chapters.

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Chapter 3: Dumbledore

Gandalf strode ahead of Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas. He knew the others were back there, too, but they were all crammed under the boy's invisibility cloak. Harry had told him that, if they encountered anyone to say they were looking for Headmaster Dubblemore…Bumblebore…something like that. As he pondered that, he received a message from the elf. "Harry says to go left, and keep going until we reach a painting of a plump lady."

Gandalf nodded to show he'd heard the elf, then bore left. He almost ran into a person coming around the corner the other way. The woman he'd almost collided with had a very stern look, which seemed like it never left her face, the way it sat there so naturally. A hint of curiosity was evident too, however, then she inquired, "Pardon me, can I help you find anything?"

The wizard responded, "Yes, I'm looking for Headmaster…" _What's the name?? _he thought. 

Luckily, he didn't have to remember. "Head master Dumbledore? Right this way, please." The aged lady swished past, leading them in the opposite direction. Gandalf had no choice but to follow her.

***

__

Great, Harry thought, scowling, _count on McGonagall to be prowling the halls at one in the morning._

Up ahead, Professor McGonagall was inquiring as to the visitors' names and their business. Gandalf gladly introduced all of the visible people and said that, though peaceful, their business was between Dumbledore and themselves. Fortunately, the Transfiguration professor asked no more. Harry didn't know if the wise old wizard knew anything about their customs and it was obvious he knew nothing about this world, so it was best to give out as little information as possible, lest it be wrong. 

Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the gargoyle, muttered the password, and watched with a bit of confusion as Gandalf jumped in fright when the gargoyle moved. _Must not be used to moving stone, _she thought. She motioned them through the portal that the gargoyle had been guarding, noticing that Legolas kept quite a large space between himself and the man in front of him…Aragorn, that was his name. _Perhaps he doesn't like being behind him…I know I wouldn't. That man looks like he hasn't bathed in years! _She covered her thoughts with a small smile, then turned and continued her rounds.

The real reason Legolas maintained space between himself and Aragorn was not that the man stunk or was too grimy. _Although, if that slimy greasy human gets too near my glorious hair, there'll be hell to pay. _No, his real reason was that he feared that the gargoyle, not being able to see his companions under the invisibility cloak, would jump back in place too soon and perhaps crush them. His suspicions were confirmed when, immediately after he'd crossed through the portal, the gargoyle leapt back into position.

They made their way up the stairs and came to a wooden door. Gandalf knocked firmly with his staff and, upon hearing a 'come in' from within, pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The moment Harry and his invisible companions were inside, he threw off the cloak and stepped up beside Gandalf. He admired the old wizard from the mysterious place Middle Earth. Perhaps he just reminded Harry of Dumbledore, or maybe it was just the way his ancient eyes held more knowledge than Harry could ever hope to claim to know. Or maybe it was just that hat.

Dumbledore, in his nightcap no less, came out from behind his desk and faced the old and young wizards. "Harry? What…"

Harry interrupted his Headmaster, something he had never dared to do before. "Professor Dumbledore, this is the wizard Gandalf and his companions, two men, an elf…" Harry searched for the others, but realized they were having troubles getting out from under the ensnaring invisibility cloak. He went to help them and finished his statement, "…a dwarf and four 'hobbits'. They are here because of me. I, erm…..overheard Professor Snape muttering about the attack to himself. I spent three hours in the library before I found a spell that would bring the people that could help us most. It brought them. Beyond that, I don't know much else."

The Headmaster smiled at his young student, a glint of amusement in his eyes, and said, "I'd expect no more. Perhaps we should let them tell their story."

One of the hobbits (_Pippin, _Harry thought) leapt forward and said, "Let us tell it!"

And so it began.


	4. the story: or is it?

A/N: Yay for lunch during exam days!! Haha, here's the next chapter, told in script form for story-telling purposes. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: blah dee blah blah…

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Chapter 4: Story…or is it?

Pippin: Well, it all started in Rivendell. Lord Elrond wanted to form a fellowship of some sort. I didn't really know what we were going on, but I did know I wanted to stay with Frodo. So we made it in. Elrond didn't seem too happy about it, but hey, who cares, he's only an elf **insert indignant glare from Legolas here** After we left, we came to this high rocky place and, since I was starving, we stopped. Then we had to go up on that cold mountain…

Merry: Don't forget the birds! Those damn spying birds!

Legolas: The Crebaίn?

Pippin: Yeah, them…so, because of them, we were stuck up on the mountain. Hardly stopped to eat…by the way, do you have any food?

**Dumbledore offers them all a lemon drop**

Frodo: Thanks…

Pippin: Can we have breakfast?

Gandalf: Fool of a Took! You had it before we got here!

Pippin: I had one, yes. What about second breakfast?

**While the hobbits and Gandalf argue over mealtimes, Aragorn fills Dumbledore in; they were forced off the mountain by one of their Dark Lord's henchmen, Saruman, so decided to go into the mines of Moria, which turned out to be an underground dwarven city. They'd just entered Moria when all of a sudden the were in the library.**

Dumbledore: SILENCE!!!

All: **stop bickering/chatting/preening (Legolas)**

Dumbledore: Now, I am still not sure why you're all here. However, you apparently are supposed to be able to help us. **turns to Harry** Take these gentlemen up to the common room. They can stay there until the younger students have been evacuated.

Harry: **nods and give the Headmaster a smile, then leads the group back through the door**

Pippin: **right before the door closes** Hey Harry, where can we get some food?…

Dumbledore: **smiles and goes to bed, pondering the mystery of the group of visitors from lands unknown.

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A/N: Sorry it was so short, I can add more if I get more reviews telling me to!


	5. Transition Chapter

A/N: another one, hope you enjoy it. Nothing really happens in this chapter, it's just a connector for night and morning.

Disclaimer: This applies for all the rest of the chapters…I own absolutely nothing.

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Chapter 5: Transition Chapter

After a pit stop at the kitchens, where Dobby had been more than happy to oblige the visitors in their need for nourishment, the group headed up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry gave her the password ("chuckleberry") and led his companions into the common room.

He turned to them and said, "I'll stay down here with you tonight, to answer the inevitable questions that will come up in the morning. Don't talk to anyone else until you've woken me. No doubt Dumbledore will make an announcement about you tomorrow at breakfast. By tomorrow night, there should be enough beds empty for you all to have one. Get your stuff set up for the night, I'll be right back.

Harry went to put his cloak away in his trunk, changed into his pajamas, grabbed a pillow and blanket and went back downstairs.

The hobbits were toasting the biscuits Dobby had given to them over the fire. Their things were laid out in a corner. Gimli had taken his own corner and was already asleep, and snoring very loudly. Boromir was sandwiched in-between the couch and the wall, also snoring, but no where as loud as Gimli. Gandalf had claimed one of the couches. His hat was on one of the armchairs and his staff lay on the floor next to the couch, barely within his reach. Legolas was gazing out the window at the moon, not seemingly tired at all. Aragorn was staring into space with the oddest expression on his face from one of the other armchairs. Harry chose to sleep closest to the dorm staircases, so he'd probably be woken first by students coming down them. He laid his stuff out, climbed under the blanket, and was lost to the dream world.

***

The sound of footsteps on the girls' dorm stairs woke him the next morning. He got up quickly, even though he was still exhausted from his short sleep. Ginny Weasley came into view and almost screamed when she saw the total strangers in their common room. Harry stopped her just in time. Hermione came down the stairs within the next few seconds and gasped at the view of the people sleeping in the common room. She turned to Harry and asked, "Harry, who are these people?"

Harry just gave her a small smile and said, "I'm sure you'll find out at breakfast. Help me get them up, will you?"

Ginny, a little intimidated by the other strangers, offered to go rouse the hobbits. Hermione insisted on getting Aragorn and Legolas up, for some reason unknown to Harry. So the boy took care of Gimli, Boromir and Gandalf, and together the three students hustled the Fellowship down to the Great Hall.


	6. Breakfast

A/N: If you've read this far, thanks a bunch.  Input would mean a lot to me, so criticize if you want!

**Chapter 6: Breakfast**

They didn't encounter anyone as they raced down the corridors and reached the Great Hall quickly.  They went in and sat down with the visitors near the head of the Gryffindor table.  Several professors, including Dumbledore, were already eating.  There were no other students in the hall yet.  Professor McGonagall seemed surprised to see the four visitors plus five others she hadn't seen before.  She looked quizzically at Dumbledore, but he shook his head and motioned to the empty hall.  She assumed that to mean, "I'll explain when everyone has arrived."

House elves were bringing out an early breakfast for the guests.  The hobbits' faces lit up as they saw the food.  Most of it was unfamiliar to them, but they recognized food when they saw it.  The elves had to bring out more almost immediately, the hobbits were eating it so fast, not to mention the other eight people enjoying it, too.

They were soon joined by Ron who, upon waking up and finding Harry in neither bed nor common room, assumed that his best friend was at breakfast already.  He approached the table with a look of utter confusion on his face.  He looked to Harry for answers, but Harry just shook his head and mouthed the word 'later'.  

Students began trickling in for breakfast.  The Fellowship began receiving curious looks, and some nervous ones, particularly because they were strangers, partially because three of them were obviously armed, and, Harry suspected, partially because of that hat!  Harry couldn't figure out what fascinated him about it, but it intrigued him.  

Hermione was chatting up a storm with Legolas, wanting to hear everything about the land they'd come from.  The elf in turn asked her about this world and her life.  When she told him of all the accomplishments she'd done, he told her he'd figured she was so clever, and gave her a big smile.  She practically passed out at the sight of the smile.  Then Harry realized why she'd wanted to wake the elf up.  _Stupid girls, _he thought. 

Ron was discussing battle tactics with the two young men and the dwarf.  Ron was planning on becoming an Auror one day, and even though he'd be mostly using magical battling skills, he wanted all the advice he could get.

Harry was admiring the hobbit's ability to make food disappear so quickly when he heard a voice behind him sneer, "Who are these, Potter? Part of your fan club?"

Knowing full well that the voice belonged to Draco Malfoy, Harry didn't even bother turning around.  "No, Malfoy, in fact, they'd never even heard of me before this past night!  Now if you don't mind, it's easier to eat without a presence of stupidity behind me…"

Malfoy grabbed Harry's collar.  "You want to fight, Potter?"

Before either of them could blink, Legolas had jumped up, fit an arrow in his bow and aimed it at Malfoy's head.

"Legolas, no," Harry cried, "You can't just kill people here!  You'd be in Azkaban before you knew what hit you!"

The elf, unconvinced but pacified, lowered his bow, but kept a wary eye on the blond-haired Slytherin.  Not liking the look the elf was giving him, Malfoy desisted and went to join his friends at the Slytherin table.

"That boy is dangerous to you, young Harry," the elf commented.

"Yeah, Draco can be just plain pigheaded on most occasions," he said.  "But just because someone's annoying doesn't mean you have to shoot them."

Legolas still looked doubtful, but before he could argue, the Headmaster stood up.

"I have an announcement to make," Dumbledore said, when everyone had quieted down.  "Due to an emergency situation, all students beneath sixth year must evacuate the school.  We expect all of you that must leave gone three days from now.  Those of the remaining students may go if they wish, but remember that we will need your help desperately.  All available and willing students will be necessary to fight Lord Voldemort."

At the name of the Dark Lord, some of the younger students cried out in fear, and everyone looked a little unsettled at the news.

"Unfortunately, the Ministry does not believe my pleas for help in the impending attack, so they will not send their Aurors to help.  Let me add, however, that we are not alone in this battle.  Most of you may have noticed some strangers here this morning.  Our own Harry Potter brought these gentlemen to our aid.  These men are supposedly the best chance of winning we have.  Only time will tell the reason, but let us hope that what was said is true.

"After breakfast, please send and owl to your families if you are to return home.  You will arrive at King's Cross Station three days from now at the usual time, unless they'd rather come and get you now.  Enjoy the rest of your meal."

This news created much gossip within the next five minutes, and soon, every student had heard all of it.  Throughout it all, Harry couldn't help noticing that Snape was looking at him, but not with all of the usual loathing.  He puzzled over that until Ron shook him out of it, saying they should start looking up spells for war, since there obviously weren't going to be classes.  Harry agreed, and led his companions from the hall.


	7. Library

**Chapter 7: **Library

Once they arrived at the library, Harry, Ron and Hermione started pulling out curse and hex books from the shelves.  The Fellowship stood there, looking unsure as to what they should do.  Harry noticed this, so said to the hobbits, "You could go down and visit the house elves in the kitchen."

Liking this idea, they turned and left.  Hermione, seeing the blank looks on the other guests' faces, suggested they find some books on the history of wars, so they might be more comfortable dealing with the upcoming battle.  All but Gandalf agreed, so Hermione took them to find good history books.

Gandalf wanted to learn more about the magic of this world, and Harry was more than happy to oblige in this.  He and the old wizard discussed the differences in magic between Earth and Middle Earth, and the young boy was amazed to find that while they had magical creatures, magic itself could only be done by the Maiar, or wizards thousands of years old, and the occasional elf.  Gandalf was one of the Maiar.  The mind of the old magician was astonished by the power Harry's wand seemed to give him.  

Harry knew that his variety of powers was greater than that of the old man, but the Maiar's power was so ancient and full of knowledge and wisdom, Harry knew he faced a wizard of possible Mage status.  And that daunted him even more than the hat.

They were discussing the differences in trolls between worlds when Boromir came up behind them and asked, "Harry, is this you?"

There, on the page, was a picture of the ruins of the house Harry had lived in that one fateful night, when Voldemort had killed his parents.  The caption read 'Home of Lily and James Potter, and of their son Harry, the Boy Who Lived'.  Seeing the pile of rubble in the photo brought back memories of green light and a high-pitched cackle.

Fighting back tears, Harry replied, "Yeah, that's me.  That's why Voldemort is going to attack this place.  Because of me and Dumbledore.  The Headmaster's the only wizard that the Dark Lord ever feared, and his pride was hurt when he failed to kill me when I was a helpless little baby.  Once he's finished both of us off, he'll have no fear in taking over the world.  _At least that's what I've discerned the reasons to be, because they're the only realistic ones, _Harry thought.

Overhearing this, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli got up and came over to where the others stood.  Looks of shock were on their faces.  If this Dark Lord was after their new friends, then the situation had become that much more dangerous for them all.


	8. Training and Civility

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Chapter 8: Training and Civility

Over the course of the next few days, the Fellowship and the oldest students in the school exchanged knowledge. The visitors

learned the way spells worked, and what spells looked like when they were cast, so they wouldn't freak out too much when

magic started flying around them in the battle. The students, and most of the professors, looked to the guests to learn

non-magical battle skills. The school's ancient armories were emptied of bows, arrows, swords, and magical shields, among

other various protective spells. Half of the students went with Aragorn to learn sword-fighting, and the faculty and other half of

the student body stayed with Legolas to learn how to shoot with a bow and arrow. This physical training was especially

uplifting for the students who weren't that proficient in curses and hexes. Everyone figured the Death Eaters wouldn't be

expecting a physical attack, and the element of surprise is always an advantage.

The only professor not present was Snape, who had locked himself in the dungeons and was brewing a fresh batch of

dangerous potions that were put into vials and then hurled at the enemy like a Muggle grenade. Dumbledore sent Harry down

to check on the professor's progress. Harry snickered as he walked up to the castle because the Headmaster's long white

beard kept getting tangled in the bowstring he was practicing with.

Harry knocked on the door of Snape's dungeon. A cruel shout answered back, "What?! What do you want?!"

Harry stammered, "Sir, Professor Dumbledore sent me to see how the potions were coming along."

He heard a lock unlatch itself and the door opened an inch. He could see his potion teacher's dark penetrating eye through that

crack. The cold voice came again, "Ah, Potter, everyone's favorite hero. Thought you'd get yourself more fame by bringing in

a troupe of weirdos, didn't you? Well, I see right through your charade. It's always about you, isn't it?"

"No, Professor, it's not," said Harry through clenched teeth. "I was thinking about the safety of everyone, including you, when

I cast that spell! Don't you think it's time to put aside our differences and stand together against a common enemy? Don't you

think it's time to grow up? Just…what should I tell Dumbledore?"

Snape's harsh sneer faded into a simple frown. He's right, Severus thought, it is time. "Tell him that I have it covered,

Potter."

Harry nodded and turned to go, feeling disappointed, and he didn't know why.

Then Snape spoke again, "…Harry?"

Surprised, the young wizard turned to face his potions master once again.

"Harry, be careful, you know not the pain that Voldemort can bring upon you."

The young wizard thought back to all the times his scar had burned with unimaginable pain, all the times he'd had to put up with

people gawking at him, and having to face Voldemort and pretend he wasn't scared out of his mind. He responded, "Yes, Sir,

I do know."

For a moment, a look of understanding passed between the ex-nemeses. Harry, hoping he wasn't making a mistake, extended

his hand. Snape took it, and they shook hands, comrades in pain and war.

Then Harry left, and for several moments the potions master gazed after him, surprised at how he could have been so cruel to one of his students, no matter who their parents were. Thoughtfully, he went back to work, but this time left the door open, so that anyone could walk in. One never does know when a friend may appear.


	9. Surprise Surprise

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Chapter 9: Surprise Surprise

Harry reported back to Dumbledore, then went and told his friends, old and new, about what had happened. Ron and Hermione were shocked, while everyone else was confused. After telling the Fellowship about the legendary Snape/Harry rivalry, they understood the shock. 

Suddenly, the sword trainer and his pupils came running back to where the others stood. Boromir said to Dumbledore and Harry, "A group of people robed in black and masked approaches. I am not sure if it's simply a spy group, or if they've launched an attack on us prematurely, but they're moving fast against the wind."

Dumbledore flew into action. "Minerva, take everyone back to the castle. I'll retreat with you, but when I stop, just keep going. Harry, please go alert Professor Snape. Gandalf, please stay and help me figure out their intentions."

Everyone quickly made their way up to the castle behind Professor McGonagall. Harry ran up to the castle and through the corridors. By the time he reached the dungeons, he was gasping for breath. "Professor **gasp** Snape! **gasp** Professor Sn-**gasp**-Snape!"

The Potions Master poked his head around the door frame. His eyes widened when he saw the Boy Who Lived. "What is it, Harry?"

Harry managed to say, without gasping, "Voldemort…he's coming…they're coming…"

A look of absolute dread crossed the professor's face. He disappeared inside, and Harry could hear the clinking of glass and Snape's muttered comments to himself, "Why didn't Vlodemore call me to the attack? ……Does he know…no, of course not, he can't know. Can he…" 

Then, the potions master reappeared through the door, a bag slung over his shoulder, and he and Harry ran down the corridors together, the older wizard sometimes supporting the younger, who was rapidly running out of running power.

When they got to where the others were, Harry could see Gandalf and Dumbledore returning, their faces grim. Those expressions were all Harry needed to know that this was no spy group, it was the attack. The students, faculty, and visitors had arranged themselves in a curious fashion. Legolas and Aragorn were standing in front, with spaces behind them for them to recede into. Then came the teachers, then finally the students and the other members of the Fellowship.

Both elf and man had nocked arrows, ready to do as much physical damage as possible before the evil army got within spell range.

Gimli was bobbing up and down. " I can't see! What's happening out there?"

Legolas turned around, smiled, and said, "Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?"

Gandalf rolled his eyes and Dumbledore's lips cured in the tiniest of smiles. It was a small moment of relaxation in this time of apprehension.


	10. The Battle for Hogwarts

A/N: This chapter is pretty long, sorry bout that, and also sorry if you like Prof. Trelawney, because I sure don't.

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Chapter 10: The Battle for Hogwarts

The horde of Death Eaters stopped advancing quite a distance from the group of defenders. The tension was so palpable you could cut it with a very sharp and dangerous object.

Suddenly, Legolas and Aragorn let fly with two incredibly swift arrows, both taking down a Death Eater. Before the evildoers knew what had happened, two more arrows were loosed, taking down another two henchmen.

After that, the Death Eaters got smart and magically set fire to every arrow that came their way. While the arrows distracted the bad guys, Snape and Professor Flitwick Banished the potions the former had brewed, aiming them at the enemy. The potions burst when they landed, sending complex, painful liquid every which way. Death Eaters fell to the ground, some with boils springing up on their exposed skin like the plague, some spontaneously combusted, and some evaporated into thin air.

Now the evil ones were really getting angry. They started moving forward again, drawing their wands and casting any curse they could think of. Legolas and Aragorn ran behind the teachers, who immediately put up magic shields to absorb the spells. Students climbed on each other's shoulders so they could reach over their professors' shields and throw a few hexes back at their enemies. The Death Eaters hastily put up shields, doing all in their power to stop the curses from getting to their Master. 

Harry got on Ron's shoulders, keeping low until he saw Peter Pettigrew huddling behind Voldemort's robes. ~Pathetic little rat~ thought Harry, ~now you shall die like you should have three years ago~

Taking careful aim, Harry raised his wand and yelled, "_Avada Kedavra!_" The flash of green light momentarily blinded both sides as the spell chased Peter down. Voldemort, thinking the spell was directed at him, laughed menacingly and said, "You think that measly little curse is going to hurt me, Potter?"

Lord Voldemort stepped two feet to the right, out of the path of the killing curse, leaving the cowering Pettigrew to take it. Peter's eyes grew wide, but before he could move, the curse hit him, and he lived no more.

Grinning triumphantly, Harry got off Ron's shoulders . ~ That's for my godfather, you cowardly murdering lousy excuse for a human being! ~ "Ron, I got Pettigrew!"

Ron, who was as mad that Pettigrew had gotten away all that time ago and never cleared Sirius's name, gave his best friend a high-five. "All right, that's what I'm talking about!"

The number of Death Eaters was rapidly dwindling. The Hogwarts side had lost two students and one teacher, Professor Trelawney. This especially saddened Parvati and Lavender. The looks on the Death Eaters' faces told them that they were frightened by the horde of students, teachers, and strangers fighting their meager number that weren't annihilated, unconscious, or in too much pain to move.

Professor Severus Snape was the most nervous and scared of anyone on the battlefield. ~ Voldemort didn't summon me for this attack. He knows I've left him ~ Indeed, Voldemort was glaring at him with an evil grin on his hideously snake-like face.

Crouching behind Dumbledore's shield, Gandalf noticed the terrified look on the potion master's face. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that none of the other professors showed their fear even remotely as much as the usually calm and sneering Severus Snape. He guessed it was something to do with the Dark Lord, since that was who Snape's gaze was locked on.

Voldemort strode forward, brandishing his wand. Gandalf stood up, walked around the teachers, and calmly walked out to meet him.

The snake-like creature grinned and hissed, "Nice hat, old man."

Gandalf was ired. No one made fun of a Maiar's headgear! He'd never made fun of Saruman's sequined pink headband, so he saw no reason why his choice of oddly pointed hat should be mocked. He lost his temper a bit. "I am the wielder of the flame of Anor! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!"

He brought his staff down, jabbing it into the ground. A bright light flashed, and a rumble shook the ground. "Go back to the shadow!"

Voldemort, intimidated by this strange magic (and that weird hat that the old man was so protective of), conceded. "Fine, Weird-Pointy-Hat-Man, but I shall return, with a stronger force, when you are no longer here to stop me! Beware, Hogwarts, your day will come!

With that, he retreated with the few remaining Death Eaters. The defenders looked at each other, then broke out in a resounding cheer tat shook the very foundations of the castle. They had done it!

Professor Snape walked up to Gandalf. "Thank you for saving me from a most untimely death, Sir Gandalf."

There was a sparkle in the Maiar's eyes. "It was no trouble at all. Just promise me one thing."

Severus nodded. "Anything, Gandalf."

Gandalf smiled. "Look after young Harry for us when we go. That fool of a Potter is going to get his foolhardy self killed if he's not careful."

Snape rolled his eyes, but agreed. The Maiar chuckled and went to congratulate Dumbledore. 

The hobbits were celebrating with a small picnic feast. Everyone sat down to join them. Legolas and Aragorn were commended on their archery, and Dumbledore told Harry he was proud of him slaying that "slimy deceiving rat man."

Everyone was happy and enjoying each other's company. But a dim sadness was also hanging over the festivities; the Fellowship had to go back, and nobody wanted such good friends to go. ~ Especially the girls ~ Harry noted. ~ Stupid girls. ~


	11. Farewell

A/N: This will be the last chapter in this story. The sequel will have more in it, especially the relationships and the details of everything, and I know it'll be better than this one. As soon as I know the name of the sequel, I'll post a final chapter telling it onto this story. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 11: Farewell

As evening came on, they took the party inside. Everyone filed into the library, Harry leading the way, followed by the Fellowship, then everyone else. They all formed a circle around the Fellowship as Harry went to find the "Spells for War-Weary Wizards" book. He came back, the dusty tome in his hands.

Placing it on the table in front of the Fellowship, he looked up the spell that would return them to their home. Then, Harry raised his wand and, with a last final glance at his new friends, spoke in a dull, sad voice, "_Recipricuro Aidia_!" And with a bright flash of light, the spot where the Fellowship had stood was suddenly vacant. With grim hearts, they all started out of the library, trying to figure out what to do next.

***

They had a farewell feast for their friends, even though the guests of honor couldn't be there. The Great Hall was filled with sad faces, and the mood was unusually grim for a celebration feast.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were the gloomiest of them all. It seemed so amazingly quiet without their friends there with them. 

Suddenly, Harry got an idea. He leapt off the bench, a look of pure excitement on his face. He ran up to speak to the Headmaster. After a few quietly exchanged words, he then ran over to Professor McGonagall. Their conversation was a bit longer. When Harry left the Head Table, both the Headmaster and the Transfiguration professor had grins on their faces.

Harry practically flew back to his spot at the Griffyndor table. He took his standard wizard's hat off his head and placed it in the middle of the table. "Here, watch this!"

Everyone nearby crowded in to see what the fuss was all about. Mumbling a spell none of the others had heard before, although Hermione recognized it as some sort of mimicking transfiguration spell. The hat started to glow. Its exceptionally small brim began to expand to almost ridiculous proportions. The end of the hat bent at an odd angle and stiffened that way. When it was done transfiguring, it was an exact replica of Gandalf's odd pointy hat. 

Harry picked it up and put it on his head. The brim was so wide that it'd had to make the hole for his head bigger also, and it was so wide that it fell down almost over his eyes. He looked so incredibly ridiculous, nobody could keep from laughing. Granted, everyone but the Slytherins was laughing at the hat. The serpent house was laughing at Harry. Still, it helped to lighten the mood of the otherwise depressed supper.

***

Later that night, Harry went to see Dumbledore. For all you script-type story lovers, here's a treat.

Dumbledore: What's on your mind, Harry? You look thoughtful

Harry: Well, I was thinking about the spell, the first one? Why did it bring all of the Fellowship and not just Gandalf?

Dumbledore: An excellent question, Harry. I'll tell you why I believe it brought them all. I have two theories. The first is that Gandalf had a large role to play in the future of our guests' quest, and the future of that quest would have been unreasonably altered if Gandalf hadn't been there.

Harry: Hmm, I never thought of the consequences to Middle Earth.

Dumbledore: I doubt many have. My second theory is that everyone had a part to play, no matter how small. Gandalf had the largest one, but without Legolas and Aragorn, there'd have been four more Death Eaters for us to handle. We would have been completely taken by surprise, because Boromir wouldn't have been there to tell us that they were coming. Gimli was the comic relief right before the battle. Without that tension-breaker, we might have gotten over-excited and attacked too soon. As for the hobbits, well, the hobbits…They were comic relief, too, but perhaps they played some role that we don't know about yet. Perhaps they were too valuable in Middle Earth to risk here. We may know someday, or we may never find out. That's why they were vital.

Harry: I was thinking, Sir, should we give them a "Special Service to the School" award? Even if they'd never know about it, we would be able to remember them by it.

Dumbledore: It's already being made, Harry.

Harry: Good…Do you think we'll ever see them again, Professor Dumbledore?

Dumbledore: Perhaps, in time, we shall. We never know what the future holds for us.

Harry: I hope we do.

Dumbledore: **smile** Off to bed now, Harry.

Harry: Good night, sir.

**Harry leaves for his dorm, thinking of writing this all down somewhere, hoping that one day he'll get to see the Fellowship again, somehow. Suddenly, he gets an idea, and runs off to the library. ~ Maybe I don't have to wait for time after all ~ he grinned.**


	12. Sequel Posted! A Debt Repaid, in the LOT...

Well, I didn't get many reviews for this story, but I'm hoping to get some for the sequel. I was wrong about this one moving slow…it was really way too fast. But I hope, for those of you that found it entertaining, that you will enjoy the sequel, which I have entitled "A Debt Repaid." It will be under the LOTR section, not Harry Potter, fyi. I hope it's as entertaining, and possibly moreso, than this one! It'll be up in a few days! 

Thanks to the few who reviewed

Merhotepbecca J 


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